Haykakan Zhamanak: Armenian Citizens With Russian Passports

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: ARMENIAN CITIZENS WITH RUSSIAN PASSPORTS

10:37 * 24.09.14

Below is an excerpt from the paper’s editorial:

Consular officers accredited to foreign countries admit in private
conversations that a major part of their work has to do with accepting
Armenian citizenship renouncement applications. The practice has
recently become widespread especially in Russia, which has essentially
eased its citizenship procedures.

The phenomenon is evident in Armenia where thousands (if not more)
people live with passports of the Russian Federation. Those people
often reside here, but they are Russian citizens. So what pushes
them to such a step? Pensioners to that to receive incomparably
higher old-age benefits. Veterans of the Armed Forces, the Police and
special services seek wider privileges. The others, who just go there
are gastarbaiters or own a business in Russia, do so to in order to
feel at ease while doing their busines. And why does Russia permit
all this? Does giving pensions or granting privileges to thousands
of foreigners, or distributing passports here and there give that
country a creative pleasure? Of course, not.

That’s a concrete political leverage for Russia, because if you have
scores or even hundreds and thousands of citizens in one country,
you can in anyway intervene in their business.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: A. Papazian